Coding structure for co-axial connectors



June 9, 1964 J. w. MILLER 3,136,592

CODING STRUCTURE FOR CO-AXIAL CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 13, 1961 IN VEN TOR.

JOHN W- MILLER BY W5 22/131454 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,136,592 CODING STRUCTURE FOR CO-AXIAL CGNNECTORS John Miller, P.O. Box 246, (Iamarillo, Calif. Filed Sept. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 137,919

1 Claim. (Cl. 339186) This invention relates generally to co-axial connectors and more particularly to a novel coding structure for such connectors so that only connections which are proper can be made.

In electrical installations, there are many instances in which various co-axial cables are to be connected to certain other cables or to particular chassis or panel terminals. Conventional connectors for this purpose usually comprise a sleeve member provided with a bayonet slot structure on one co-axial connector for cooperation with suitable bayonet pins on the other co-axial connector. The bayonet slot and pin structure is standard for all of the cable and terminal connectors. As a consequence,

there is the possibility of connecting the cables incorrectly to each other or to the chassis or panel terminals.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel coding structure which will enable one co-axial connector to be connected only to one other co-axial connector and prevent connection of any other connectors thereto, thereby avoiding errors in assembling electrical equipment.

Another object is to provide a coding structure meeting the foregoing object which does not increase the mounting area for a panel type connector nor appreciably increase the connecting portions between tWo co-axial cables.

Another important object is to provide a coding structure designed to enable only certain co-axial connectors to be connected together involving only a slight modification of standard type connectors presently employed to the end that the improved structure may be readily adapted to present equipment with minimum expense.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing additional pin means on one co-axial connector in addition to the conventional pins employed thereon for reception in the bayonet slot sleeve structure of a mating connector. This sleeve structure in turn is provided with additional notches arranged to receive the additional pins. By circumferentially positioning the additional pins and notches at a given angle with respect to the conventional pins and notches, the connectors may be properly mated and a connection effected. However, any other co-axial connectors which are not provided with additional notches atthe same circumferential angular relationship cannot receive the additional pins and are thus blocked from connection. Since the circumferential angular displacement of the pins and notches may. encompass many different angles over 360 degrees, several co-axial connectors may be properly coded so that only desired ones may be connected.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in perspective view one type of panel co-axial connector with a conventional co-axial cable connector adapted to be connected thereto;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the same connectors modified in accordance with the coding structure of the present invention so that one of the connectors is capable of receiving only a certain type of other connector; and,

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the panel connector shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a first coaxial connector 10 which, in the particular embodiment chosen for illustrative purposes, may constitute a panel connector for an electrical device. As shown, the connector 10 includes an outer conductor 11 and inner conductor 12. The outer conductor 11 is secured to a mounting flange 13 adapted to be positioned on the panel of the device. Connection is made to the inner conductor through a suitable terminal 14 on the back of the mounting plate- 13. The outer conductor 11 includes radially outwardly extending locking pins15 and 16.

A second connector on one end of a co-axial line 17 includes an outer conductor 18 and inner conductor 19 arranged respectively to telescope within the outer conductor 11 and the inner conductor 12 of the first connector 10. Towards this end, the outer conductor 18 may be provided with lateral slots so that it may circumferentially contract slightly to be properly received within the outer conductor 11 and be biased against the inner surface of the outer conductor to insure good electrical continuity. The inner conductor 19 may constitute a simple pin structure receivable within a small bore in the inner conductor 12 of the first connector.

The second connector on line 17 includes a receiving sleeve 20 rotatably mounted to the end of the line and keyed thereto against longitudinal movement. As shown, the sleeve 20 terminates in an end ring 21 of larger diameter than the remaining portion of the sleeve. A knurled portion 22 may be provided at the other end of the sleeve 29 to facilitate manual rotation thereof. The sleeve itself includes bayonet slots 23 and 24 connecting to radially outwardly directed entrance notches 25 and 26 formed on the inner surface of the end ring 21. The entrance notches 25 and 26 are arranged to receive the locking pins 15 and 16 on the first co-axial connector 10 when connecting the connectors together. Thus, upon urging of the outer conductor 18 and inner conductor 19 into telescoping relationship with the outer conductor 11 and inner conductor 12, the pins 15 and 16 will pass through the entrance notches 25 and 26 and into the bayonet slots 23 and 24. Rotation of the sleeve 20 will then position the notches in the ends of the bayonet slots in a conventional manner to lock the connectors together.

The foregoing structure is entirely conventional and connectors of this type are generally standard on many types of co-axial lines and panel terminals. Because of this standard construction, however, it is possible that incorrect cables could be connected to the coaxial connector 10 inadvertently.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown a modified connector providing a coding structure in accordance with the present invention which Willenable only the first and second connectors illustrated to be connected. together and prevent the inadvertent connection of other co-axial connectors. The various elements which are the same as shown in FIGURE 1 are designated by corresponding numerals. In FIGURE 2, the improved connector includes an outer sleeve 27 surrounding the outer conductor 11 of the first co-axial connector as shown. This sleeve 27 is secured to the flange 13 and includes radially inwardly directed additional pins 28 and 29 on its inner surface. These additional pins are circumferentially displaced by a given angle from the locking pins 15 and 16.

The connecting portion of the co-axial line 17 is identical to that shown in FIGURE 1 except that there are provided two additional notches in the outer surface of the end ring 21. These notches extend radially inwardly as shown at 30 and 31 and are circumferentially displaced by an angle A from the entrance notches 25 and 26. This angle A corresponds to the same circumferential angular displacement of the additional pins 28 and 29 from the locking pins 15 and 16 of the first coaxial line. The outer diameter d of the end ring 21 is dimensioned to be received within the diameter D" of the outer sleeve 27.

In FIGURE 3, the relative orientation of the pins and 16 and additional pins 28 and 29'is clearly illustrated together with the circumferential angular displacement given by the angle A. The position of the end ring 21 is illustrated by the dashed lines 21' in FIGURE 3 and it will be evident that the notches are so oriented that they will respectively receive the pins 15 and 16 and 28 and 29, thereby permitting complete telescoping movement of the end ring and sleeve within the outer sleeve 27 so that the inner and outer conductors of the co-axial connectors may connect together.

In the operation of the connector shown in FIGURE 2, the sleeve 20 is first rotated to align its entrance notches and 26 with the locking pins 15 and 16 and its additional notches and 31 with the additional pins 28 and 29. The connecting portions may then' be telescoped together as described heretofore. The locking pins 15 and 16 will be received Within the bayonet slots as described in conjunction with FIGURE 1, and the additional pins 28 and 29 will pass completely through the notches 30 and 31 to the back side of the end ring 21. Rotation of the sleeve 20 will then lock the locking pin Within the bayonet slots and simultaneously will displace the additional notches 30 and 31 in a circumferential direction from the additional pins 28 and 29;, the back surface of the ring 21 thus preventing separation of the co-axial connectors in addition to the locking feature of the bayonet slots.

Other co-axial lines which are to connect to different panel terminals, for example, are provided with sleeves and end rings similar to 21 except; that the additional notches provided therein are circumferentially displaced at angles different from the angle A. As a consequence, these other co-axial connectors cannot be received within the outer sleeve 27 of the first co-axial connector since the pins 28 and 29 thereof will abut against the end ring when the entrance notches 25 and 26 are properly aligned to receive the locking pins 15 and 16. However, the other terminal connectors on the panel may be provided with outer sleeves 27 having additional pins 28 and 29 properly angularly positioned to cooperate with others of the co-axial connectors so that they can receive the same. It will therefore be evident that the coding by way of different angular displacements of the additional pins and notches with respect to the locking pins and entrance notches will enable only certain co-axial connectors to be connected to certain other co-axial connectors as will provide correct connections and prevent misconnections by an operator.

It will also be appreciated from the foregoing description that the improved coding structure of this invention involves very little modification of the conventional connectors presently employed. In fact, the only structural modification constitutes the addition of the outer sleeve 27 which may be dimensioned to be mounted on the conventional mounting flange 13, the additional pins 28 and 29 therein, and the provision of additional notches on the end ring 21 of the receiving sleeve on the other co-axial connector. Present systems may thus be easily modified to incorporate the structure of this invention without necessitating complicated manufacturing changes in the mounting flanges and end connectors of lines already in existence. 7

Another advantage of the foregoing construction resides in the fact that a special co-axial line may be provided with an end ring 21 which is notched to include all coding positions of thecoding pins used. The end ring and sleeve may thus be inserted within the outer sleeve 27 of any end connector regardless of the number or positioning of additional pins such as 28 and 29. This special type connector would be a master connector enabling the one special co-axial line to be connected to any one of the outlets as might be desirable, for example, for test purposes.

Thus, while only one particularembodiment of the invention has been set forth and described, various changes and modifications that fall clearly within the scope and spirit of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The coding structure for co-axial connectors is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the one example set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

' What is claimed is: I

A coding structure for insuring proper connection of a first co-axial connector including inner and outer conductors with a second co-axial connector including inner and outer conductors terminating in ends adapted to be telescopically received respectively in the inner and outer conductors of said first co-axial connector, comprising, in combination: radially outwardly extending locking pins 'on the exterior surface of the outer conductor of said first co-axial connector; an outer sleeve surrounding said outer conductor; radially inwardly extending additional pins on the interior surface of said outer sleeve, said additional pins being circumferentially displaced by'a given angle from said locking pins; and ,a receiving sleeve surrounding the outer conductor of said second co-axial connector and keyed thereto against longitudinal movement, said receiving sleeve terminating in an end ring having a given outside diameter larger than the diameter of the remaining portion of said sleeve and dimensionedto be received Within said outer sleeve, said end ring having radially outwardly directed entrance notches on its inside surface positioned to receive said locking pins when said receiving sleeve and its end ring are urged over said outer conductor of said first co-axial connector, said receiving sleeve including bayonet slots connecting with said entrance notches so that said locking pins may pass into said slots upon circumferential turning of said receiving sleeve to secure said receiving sleeve to said outer conductor of said first co-axial connector, said end ring including radially inwardly extending additional notches in its outer surface circumferentially displaced from said entrance notches by said given angle to receive said additional pins when said end ring and receiving sleeve are urged Within said outer sleeve, whereby other co-axial connectors having receiving sleeves With end ring entrance and additional notches which are circumferentially displaced from each other by angles differing from said given angle are blocked from entering said outer sleeve .to connect to said first co-axial connector.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

